A to Z of Apollo
by NotSorry
Summary: A to Z of our favourite god, Apollo. From Apples to Jelly Beans, Pencils to Weddings, these are the stories of Apollo's love life.
1. Apples

**I was set this challenge by a friend of mine. At first, I refused, saying that I wanted to work on my Skulduggery Pleasant stories (if anyone's familiar with the detective, I would love it if you could check them out... *hopeful smile*). Anyway, this friend was persistent and eventually I gave into her demands. Oh, and the challenge is that I have to do one fic for every letter of the alphabet, and it had to be an Apollo romance. Yeah. Anyway, this is an official disclaimer for the WHOLE fic, because I'll just forget anyway.  
**_**I do not own the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, or any characters from it. I only own the plots.**_

Rachel Elizabeth Dare sat at the table of the coffee shop, watching with bored eyes as the toddler two tables down threw his apple in the air, over and over again. The apple was red and shiny with few bruises on its delicate skin. Someone had cut off the stem. It was a perfect apple, practically begging you to sink your teeth into its sweet, crunchy flesh.  
The toddler, however, had no intention of eating the apple. He was content with just throwing it, again and again in the air, much to Rachel's (and the child's mothers) annoyance_. Just eat it already! _Rachel screamed in her head, and she started softly banging her head on the table, thanking the gods that she had chosen an isolated corner of the shop so no-one could notice her insanity.

"What's wrong with you?" an amused, yet insanely attractive voice asked her, making Rachel look up and glare at the male model in front her. Apollo had already caught the eye of more than a few women in the coffee shop, but with centuries of practise, he ignored them. Grinning, he sat down across from the Oracle and ordered a latte from the young waitress who had hurried over. When she had left, he repeated his question and raised an eyebrow. Sighing, Rachel pointed wordlessly to the toddler, who now seemed to be rolling across this table, giggling with delight when his mother rolled it back. Apollo looked confused. "Why can't that little boy just eat that apple already? I mean, look at it! So shiny and crunchy looking..." she trailed off angrily. Apollo laughed.

"You're seriously pissed off at a little kid who won't eat an apple? Granted, that is a fine specimen of an apple, but don't you have other things to worry about? Like the fact that you could randomly sprout a prophecy any minute?"  
Rachel waved it off, finishing her coffee and standing up. "Can I help you with anything, Lord Apollo?" she asked as she left, sending one last longing look at the shiny apple. Apollo shrugged.  
"I was bored and decided to visit my favourite Oracle. It's not every day I get to see a woman as beautiful and wonderful as yourself." He sent a sly smile her way, and it was ignored. "Anyway,"  
he continued, unfazed by the lack of blushing from the girl beside him. "I was wondering if you would like to go see a movie with me. There's this new one out, a romantic comedy-"

"Sure." Rachel cut him off, sending him a funny look. "But anything, _anything_ but a romantic comedy."

Apollo sighed in frustration, throwing his hands up in the air dramatically. "Girls are supposed to like romance, aren't they?" he asked. "I mean, you've made me doubt _everything_ I've learned about women in the last two thousand years!"

Rachel snorted and fished around her handbag for her phone. She sent a quick text and looked up. "Whatever. But before we go, can we stop somewhere that sells apples or apple flavoured products? I have a craving for some reason."


	2. Books

**B... B for beautiful, B for butterflies, and last but not least, B for Books. Enjoy, my beautiful readers.**

The girl walked slowly through the rows of shelves. The books, some old and worn and some new and shiny. She loved books- they were her only friends, and no matter what mood she was in, they always seemed to understand and give the best advice. Every now and then, she would stop and pick out a book, examining the cover then turning it over to read the blurb. Absently, she raised a hand to brush a stray strand of her mahogany hair out of her face. She bright blue eyes never left the book.

A young man watched her discretely from the counter her was leaning on. His stunning looks had caught the attention of many girls in the library, but he paid no attention to their stares with the ease of long practise. This girl, the pretty girl with the mahogany hair, had been in looking at books for hours, not once acknowledging anyone else existence. The man, Apollo, was intrigued. He and come into the library in hopes of finding a cute girl for a fling to keep him entertained for a couple weeks. It wasn't that he was sleazy, and he respected women immensely, but he couldn't very well go looking for a long term relationship with a mortal. Hades, even all the immortal women were either married or had vowed to be eternal maidens. So Apollo had long ago given up getting attached to the women he slept with, though he had fallen in love many times. It was just too hard, watching them die. But right now, he was just looking for a fling.

...

"Hello," The girl, Georgia, looked up from her book in annoyance as the beautiful guy approached. _Oh great_, she thought, _probably some teenage dickhead come to have a go at me for being smart_. Sighing, she put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you, sir?" Georgia asked, not disguising her annoyance. The beautiful boy smirked. "What are you reading there?" he asked, peeking at the book in her hand. "You're a fan of mythology? You have wonderful taste, I must say." Georgia scoffed.  
"You can read?"  
Apollo smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Apollo." he told her. Georgia reluctantly shook it, mentally noting that it was pleasantly warm. "I'm Georgia. It's... Nice to meet you, Apollo. Can I help you?"  
The god shrugged. "Not really. You just caught my eye, is all. I've never know a girl to spend all day in the library."  
"Yeah, well," Georgia said defensively. "I'm not like most girls. I _like_ books."She turned and walked away. Apollo sighed. _Oh well_, he thought, _I'll come back tomorrow_.


	3. Cling

**Thanks for all of the lovely reviews! Oh, and I don't own PJO. Sadly.**

"Don't leave me." I grabbed the front of Apollo's shirt and clung to him desperately. He couldn't leave. For the love of the gods, I could not let him leave me.  
"Claire," Apollo whispered. "I'll always love you. You know that." He grabbed my hand and gently pulled my hands out of there death hold on his shirt. "But you're a demigod. Poseidon would kill me if he found out about us."  
"No."  
My head was swimming. Apollo, my Apollo. Oh gods, he was leaving me. He said he wouldn't. He promised that he'd stay with me, make me immortal so I could be with him forever. Of course he lied. He's a god. He's had countless women, countless children. Why would I be special? I was a fool to think he loved me as much as I loved him.

But still I clung to him for dear life, wrapping my arms around him neck and sobbing into his chest. "Please don't leave me, Apollo. I need you."  
Apollo had tears in his eyes as he pulled away from me. "I'll love you always, Claire Malloy. I will never forget you."

And with that, he pressed his lips to mine one last time, and I savoured the warmth of his body pressed against mine. "I love you." I tried weakly, but he shook his head and disappeared in a flash of warm light.


	4. Dares

"I pick... Dare." Percy, Annabeth, Grover, The Stoll Brothers, Apollo and Rachel sat in a circle in Rachel's living room. It was her birthday, so everyone had invited themselves over for a party. Even Apollo. After a few drinks, Percy and Grover had started up a game of Truth or Dare. It was Rachel's turn, because even though Rachel was not tipsy, she had been persuaded to join. Actually, Travis and Connor had tied her to a chair. When Rachel announced that she chose dare, Percy, Grover and the Stoll's grinned wickedly. They whispered to each other for a few seconds before nodding and looking at Rachel. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Oracle of Delphi, we dare you to..." Grover gave a drum roll on the ground. "Kiss Apollo!"  
Rachel, still tied to the chair, choked on the drink Annabeth was holding to her lips. Annabeth burst into laughter and Apollo looked highly amused at the whole situation. The Oracle looked at Percy for a moment, before saying, "How drunk are you, Percy? I'm not allowed to kiss guys."  
Annabeth, who had calmed down, pointed out a fact that Rachel had hoped so desperately she would forget. "Yeah, but Rach... it was Apollo who made that rule. He _could_ change it for a few seconds."  
"I hate you, Annabeth." Rachel said under her breath, and then looked at Apollo with wide, scared eyes for a moment. The god chuckled. "Why so scared, Oracle? Come on, I'm insulted." He pouted in that cute way and Rachel sighed.

"Whatever. But I'm kinda tied up, so how can I kiss him?"  
Everyone paused, thinking the same thing. "If we untie you, how do we know you won't try to escape?" ask Travis slowly.  
"You don't." came the reply.  
"It doesn't matter" said Apollo. He got up and walked over to Rachel, making sure to keep eye contact with the glaring redhead. He sat on her lap and wrapped his arms around her neck. "Oh Rachel," he said in a high voice. "You've made me so happy." He pressed his lips to Rachel's and she felt herself melt. It had been years since she had had any physical contact with a man. And Apollo was a brilliant kisser. As he should have been, with two thousand years of practise. Rachel felt his hands wrap around her waist and she wrapped hers around his neck. And they kissed. And kissed. And kissed some more. In fact, they kissed for so long that Annabeth had to clear her throat to bring them back to reality. "Ahem. You guys? You can stop now."  
Rachel pulled back from the god and glared at him. "If you weren't such a bloody good kisser, I would totally kick you in the balls when I get untied."  
Apollo got off her lap and grinned. "You know you love me."


	5. Emails

Eh. Not my best, but it'll do. Thank you for the reviews, my _**e**_legant readers...

Enjoy...

**TO: Tamara  
FROM: Sammy  
SUBJECT: AAAAAAHHHHHH!**

Tam! Oh my god!  
You know that ultra-hot guy who I ran into yesterday? The one who helped with my bags? THE HOT ONE?

Well, I totally ran into him today! Again! I was sitting in a cafe and he walked up and was like "Hey, I remember you!" and he sat down in across from me. We got talking and here is what I know:

His name is Apollo (like the god! You're the mythology freak, aren't you?)  
He knows about that camp you go to in the summer  
He likes the sun  
He has a twin sister

Awesome, huh? Have you met him before? I could tell by the way you looked at him he was! Why didn't you tell me! Anyway, he asked me out again! Tonight! Yayness!

Wish me luck!

**TO: Sammy  
FROM: Tamara  
SUBJECT: RE: AAAAAAHHHHHH!**

Samantha,  
I'm going to be honest with you- I do know him. The reason I didn't tell you was because we aren't exactly on speaking terms... I just recognise him, okay?  
And he's bad news. I know you don't want to hear this, but it's just better if you don't get attached to him. He WILL leave you. Not because he wants to, but because his father won't let him date. So he can't get serious with you, or anyone.

He's broken a lot of hearts, Sammy.

But I guess if you really want to, you can see him, but just remember what I said.

**TO: Tamara  
FROM: Sammy  
SUBJECT: RE: AAAAAAHHHHHH!**

I don't get it. Last night he was so sweet and nice and he kissed me- Tamara, he is the BEST kisser- and I felt wonderful. He didn't mention anything about not being able to get serious.

Why is it that all of the good ones have problems?

But I'm going to see him again. I know it's stupid, but Apollo is just SO wonderful, I don't think I can say no. He's asked me out again.

Maybe I'll be different?

**TO: Sammy  
FROM: Tamara  
SUBJECT: RE: AAAAAAHHHHHH!**

Okay. I know that you can make your own decisions.

But be careful.

**TO: Tamara  
FROM: Sammy  
SUBJECT: RE: AAAAAAHHHHHH!**

Oh God. What have I done? We had sex last night, Tamara. It was so amazing and wonderful, but we forgot to use protection. Oh God. I only realized that now. How could I be so stupid? What if I'm pregnant? What will I do? I can't have a baby... Oh God oh God oh God...

You were right. I should have listened.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	6. Free

**Hello, my **_f__abulous_** readers. I have a warning for this chapter: it sucks. I struggled and struggled and finally made it vaguely publishable. It barely has anything to do with 'Free', and the parts that do are sucky. Forgive me, and pray to Athena that the next chapter is better.**

Thalia used to doubt whether it was worth it. Whether falling in love was worth giving up immortality, and the life she had with the Hunters. She loved the Hunters, they were her sisters and Artemis was wonderful to her. She had felt free.

But that was nothing compared to the freedom she felt when she was with Apollo.

Apollo. The name still sent shivers down her spine and made the butterflies in her stomach excited. It brought back memories of sitting by the Hunters fire and talking, even though he annoyed the Hades out of her back then. Memories of their first kiss, Apollo pinning her up against a tent and capturing her lips with his own. The feelings that kiss had made.  
Then she quit the Hunters, and he life was just so much better. Being able to kiss Apollo whenever she wanted, running through the forest of Camp Half-Blood. Being seen in public and being stared at by demigods, but just not giving a damn.

Apollo had freed her.


	7. Ghost

**Okay, me **_**g**_**orgeous readers, this chapter was inspired the poem/song '**_**Ghost**_**' by the wonderful Emilie Autumn. Check it out. And I would like to thank you for all of the positive reviews, even for the last chapter, which was crap. So... Enjoy!**

Rose hated him. Rose hated him _so much _and there was _nothin_g she could do about it. Apollo. That stupid, stupid god that decided he could just walk into her life, make her fall in love, then he just walked out again as soon as he found out she was pregnant. That coward. He haunted her, in her dreams. She dreamt of their nights together and the kisses they had shared. Sometimes she dreamt of the day he just didn't show up. No goodbye, he just disappeared. He was a ghost to her. Sometimes Rose knew he was watching her. She _just kne_w somebody was there, though she couldn't see them. She used to pretend she was asleep just so he could come and watch her, so she knew he was real, and she wasn't a crazy person who saw ghosts. That was back before she hated him. He never came, she knew that. Because he was a ghost.

**I think I'll make one from Apollo's POV... What letter would that be? Any suggestions? Oh, and sorry for the shortness.**


	8. Hello

**Uh, this sucks. But it's the best I could do. And do you know what? I think I'm the first, or one of the first, to write a story or chapter that is this pairing. Huh. Let me know if I'm wrong. Okay, Enjoy!**

I walked up to the demigod, a daughter of Athena, who was browsing the bookstore. She had pretty blonde hair and those familiar grey, stormy eyes. I knew this one, Annabeth, she was quite famous and I had talked to her a few times, while she was on the quest to save my sister and while she had been rebuilding Olympus. Yes, this one was sharp, more so then her siblings, but I knew for a fact that she could have fun when she wanted to. I laughed to myself, remembering the Camp Half-Blood 'We Totally Just Won The War' party a few years back (organised by the Stoll brothers) where she had danced and danced until she twisted her ankle, which I was find enough to fix. Ah yes, this girl would definitely be a challenge, but it would be worth it. I knew she saw me out of the corner of her eye as I approached, but she kept her gaze firmly on the book in her hand (A History of Greek Mythology- Gods, Heroes and Monsters). I snorted, because Annabeth obviously knew everything about Greece that there was to know. But I did this quietly, and stood next to her, picking up a book on the history of the world. We acted like we didn't know each other. I wasn't sure why, but we did. Finally, I got bored of the silence, and, without looking at her, said "Hello," She glanced at me and smiled a little. "Hello, Lord Apollo. Can I help you?"

I shrugged. "Not really. Just saw you, thought I'd say hello. How's Percy?"  
Annabeth noticeably stiffened. "I couldn't know. He dumped me." Know, I knew Annabeth was dating Percy, and as far as I could tell the couple were completely in love with each other. I had thought that I wouldn't be able to get her, but it would be fun to try. That fact that the son of Poseidon had dumped this beautiful, intelligent girl shocked me to no end. "Really?" I asked. "That was stupid of him."

Annabeth snorted. "He a dickhead, anyway." And walked away.

...

The next time I saw Annabeth, she was sitting at the bar of a small bar, sipping a drink and looking bored. A guy was trying to chat her up, but she seemed oblivious to his presence. I walked up to her, not bothering to keep quiet. "Hello, Annabeth." I said, and she looked at me for a second before speaking. "Hello, Apollo. How are you?" I smiled, taking a seat next to her.

"Good, good. What about you? Any men in your life?" As the girl shook her head, I saw the man who was trying to get into her pants walk off sulkily. Ha. We talked for a while until she insisted she had to get home. I kissed her on cheek, making her blush.

...

I saw her a few times after that. She was falling for me, I knew she was. Athena was now glaring at me at every opportunity and Aphrodite seemed to be smiling at me a lot. I knew why. It wasn't just because Annabeth was falling for me, no. It was because I was falling for her. Usually I didn't fall for the women I slept with- I just felt a certain fondness towards them. Of course, there were a few exceptions every century or so. But Annabeth- well, she was in a category of her own. I loved her so much. And it was going to kill me when I had to leave her.

...

The next time I saw Annabeth, she was crying. I approached her and dropped down onto my knees, so I was level with her, as she was curled into a ball. "Annabeth? What's wrong?" She looked up at me with red eyes, and looked white confused. Probably wondering how I got into her apartment with her. But hey, I was a god and she didn't answer when I knocked. "What is it?" I asked again, sitting next to her (she was leaning against her bed) and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She let out a sob and rested her head on my shoulder. To be completely honest, it killed me inside watching her hurt. We sat like that for hours, though it could have been minutes, before she stopped crying and got up to wash her face. I stayed leaning against the bed. When she walked out of her bathroom, she sat cross legged in front of me and offered a small smile. "You forgot to say hello." she told me. To Hades with it, I couldn't stand this anymore. I leaned forward and captured her lips with my own before she knew what was happening. After the initial surprise had worn off, she kissed me back. And she kissed and kissed me. It didn't stop.  
Hours later, I kissed her softly and whispered "Hello" in her ear as she drifted off to sleep.


	9. Internet

**What? No reviews? Not a 'it's too short' or a 'that was horrible'? :( But it's okay. I still love you.**

Rachel was having problems. Major problems. Problems so big, in fact, that when Apollo appeared in her room in a flash of light she glared at him and told him to get out, with quite a few curse words mixed in. Bemused, the god did as he was told and walked into the small kitchen of his Oracle's apartment. After a few minutes, she heard her scream in frustration and throw something at the wall. Then there was silence. Then she swore in a calm voice. A minute later she walked into the kitchen and smiled brightly at the god, and held up what seemed to be a phone with a shattered screen. "The internet wouldn't work." she told him at chucked it casually in the bin.  
Apollo couldn't help it. He laughed.  
Rachel glared at him and put her hands on her hips. "What?" She demanded.

Apollo shook his head. "You threw your phone at the wall because the internet wouldn't work?"  
"Yes. Yes I did. I needed to check my emails, Apollo!" She exclaimed. "It was important!"  
The redhead stomped out of the kitchen and into the lounge with the god following. "Why didn't you just pray the Hermes and give an offering or something?"

"Didn't work." came the reply as Rachel flopped down on a couch and lay down face first. Apollo decided to sit on the armrest, and they were silent for a while, before Rachel broke the silence. "Now I need a new phone." she said sadly. Apollo nodded even though she couldn't see.  
"Well," he said, getting up. "I almost forgot what I came here for. "Any new prophecies lately? Visions?"  
Rachel shook her head into the couch. Apollo sighed and went to the door. "Oh, and Rachel? Sorry about your phone."

Later that night, as Rachel was Googling different types of phones, a small package appeared in her lap. It scared the crap out of her. Reading the stamp, she saw it was delivered by Hermes Express. Frowning, Rachel opened it reveal a phone exactly like her old one, with the same screensaver- a picture of her, Percy and Annabeth. The screen wasn't broken. Going through the files, she found that nothing had been lost. Picking up the package again, Rachel shook it until a note fell out.

_The internet brings out the worst in all of us.  
-Apollo_

**Just so you know, Apollo got Hermes to fix the phone and make sure the internet always worked. I also think that it was an amazingly sweet thing for him to do and I imagine Aphrodite looking on with a huge grin on her face. Also, I think that Rachel and Annabeth could be friends once Rachel got over Percy.**

**Reviews?**


	10. Jelly Beans

**So... Lots of people want more Rachel. I know how you feel, guys. They're just so cute together, aren't they? Anyway, my cousin wanted this chapter to be juice. Ha, Tamara, you amuse me. Juice? Are you serious? Why the Hades would I write about juice? It's so... insignificant. Just something you consume, nothing special.**

**I told her: What? No way. I'm totally writing about Jelly Beans.**

**A friend pointed out that Jelly Beans were also just another insignificant food/drink. Ha. Surely you jest? Jelly Beans? Insignificant? Nonsense! They are the most significant thing in the world- just ask my year six maths teacher.**

**So here I am, writing about Jelly Beans.  
Enjoy!**

Apollo had a crush. Apollo had a crush and it was embarrassing, because Aphrodite caught on and told _everyone_. All the gods, all the satyrs, everyone on Olympus knew about his stupid little crush. Damn that goddess. Damn her to Hades.  
What made it even more embarrassing was that his crush was his Oracle. Why did it have to be Rachel, the one woman he couldn't be with, because of that stupid rule he had made all those thousands of years ago? Sure, he could change it, but that would be re-writing history and Aphrodite would never let him live it down. He could just imagine it; _"Oh, Apollo, it's so romantic that you did that just for her!" "Oh, going to Rachel, are you? That girl is so lucky you like her that much."  
_Yeah, it wouldn't work.  
One of the worst things about it was that every time Rachel saw someone from Olympus, they were always giving her looks and making suggestive comments. Like when he had Hermes deliver a message, the stupid god had said "Oh, Apollo couldn't make it. But I'm sure he's _thinking_ about you." It was subtle, and Rachel probably didn't pick up anything strange, but Apollo knew. Or when Rachel was with Percy when Poseidon visited. "Ah, Miss Dare. How nice to see you! Especially when Apollo holds you in such _high_ regard." Aphrodite even paid her a special visit, telling her that it was such a shame that the man who liked her couldn't act upon his feelings; "Oh, and you'd love him. He's so cute, and is completely obsessed with you."  
"Do I know him?" Rachel had asked, to which Aphrodite winked.  
"Oh yes, my girl."

Apollo had been avoiding Rachel lately. She had just been looking _so good_, he wasn't sure if he could control himself. But she was his Oracle and it was his job to check in on her.  
When he appeared in her apartment, Apollo found a very odd sight. There was Rachel, the girl of his desire, sitting cross legged on her couch, holding a Jelly Bean packet to her chest and sobbing.  
"Rachel?" he asked hesitantly, sitting next to her. "What's wrong?"  
Rachel looked up at Apollo. "I...I don't have any more Jelly Beans!" she wailed.  
Apollo had to choke back a snort. "Um... Is there anything I can do? I could get you more, if you want?" Rachel looked at him, smiled, and nodded.  
The phrase 'mood swings' entered Apollo's mind.  
Ten minutes later, Rachel was happily chewing on Jelly Beans and chatting to the god. As he was about to leave, Rachel looked at him, hesitated, then gave him a hug. Apollo froze and a part of his mind told him to savour the feeling of her arms wrapped around him **(AN: I know some sick minded people will laugh at this. One of my friends burst into hysterics at this part)**, but he was too shocked. "Thanks for the Jelly Beans, Apollo. I got some bad news today." she whispered, then walked to her room.

**Okay, Rachel... And Apollo are really OOC in this one... But still. The next chapter is dedicated to the first person to review. Muchly love to my readers!**


	11. Knight

**Hello my lovelies! How are you? Guess what? What, you ask? I shall tell you! This chapter is dedicated to the wonderful **_**Seph Meadowes **_**for, not only being the first to review, but for all of her lovely reviews in general. Check out her stories. They're brilliant.  
Now, I had a lot of trouble thinking of something starting with 'K'. It was even easier to find something starting with 'X', but that's another story. And then, once I thought up the word, I thought: What the hell can I write about this? And so this chapter was born. Oh, and people keep telling me that my chapters are short. Sorry! I have two excuses- A) I lose my inspiration after about a page and a half, except with some lucky stories and chapters, and B) It looks longer on Word! I swear! Oh, and in this one Rachel did NOT become the Oracle. She just continued to hang with Percy and people.**

**CHAPTER WARNING: Rated almost-M for almost-rape and language. Small kiddies don't read!**

**Enjoy!**

There was no such thing as knights in shining armour. Rachel knew that. She knew that no man was going to ride up on a horse and sweep her off her feet. Rachel knew that, because she was a rational human being.

But then, she used to think that the gods weren't real, but look at her now. Best friends with demigods and having the occasional chat with an immortal horse-man.

But still. Rachel wasn't looking for the perfect man because she knew he didn't exist.  
Then she met Apollo. At first it was nothing. Sure, she thought he was attractive, but what girl didn't? He was as hot as the sun (pun very much intended) and everyone knew it.  
Then one day, when Rachel was seventeen, Apollo started flirting with her. She told herself that it was nothing, that he flirted with every girl.  
But he continued to flirt, even though he didn't see her much, and Percy started getting worried.  
"Don't let him do anything, Rachel. You know he's bad news." he would say.

Rachel had shaken her head and asked him if she looked stupid.

Rachel's life went on and she decided to go to Australia to stay with a friend for a few months. Her friend, Carrie, happily opened her doors to the now- twenty-one year old redhead. It was nice to have a change of scenery, though Rachel would never admit she kind of missed Apollo's unnecessary visits and annoying flirtatiousness.  
One night, about a month after Rachel had gone to Australia, she was walking the streets of Brisbane when a strong arm wrapped around her neck and a large hand covered her mouth, muffling her screams. "Don't scream or I will kill you right now." a man breathed in her ear, making her cringe at his horrible breath. Rachel, left with no other choice (because celestial bronze would not harm mortals, and her dagger was made of just that), stopped struggling and let the man drag her to a deserted nearby park. She scolded herself for being so stupid as to walk around at night.  
The man pushed Rachel up against a tree and wrapped a dirty piece of cloth around her mouth, gagging her. His hands moved to her chest and he laughed as he groped her. Rachel couldn't see his face. He had a black balaclava. She squirmed as he started unbuttoning her shirt, and she kneed him between the legs. He stumbled back and just as Rachel had ripped off her gag, he lunged at her, his meaty hand closing around her throat and pinning her up against the tree again.  
"You little whore! You're going to pay for that." Using one hand to continue choking her, he moved his remaining hand down, and started undoing her pants. She squirmed again as his fingers pressed against her through her undies, and felt she would vomit. "Fuck you." she choked out. The man just laughed and had started taking off her underwear when there was a loud thunking noise and the man fell down, unconscious. Rachel fell down and looked up to see Apollo holding a cricket bat. He came over to her and placed his hands on her forehead, and she instantly felt better, but nowhere near fine. "Rachel, are you okay?" he asked worriedly as she got up and put her clothes back on. She nodded. "Thank you so much, Apollo." she said gratefully. He looked at her with a weird look in his eyes.  
"I couldn't let him do that to you." he said seriously. Rachel nodded again and sat down on a park bench, putting her head between her legs. When she felt less dizzy and confused, she looked at the man who had tried to rape her. Getting up, she walked over to him and kicked him several times, as hard as she could, between his legs. Apollo looked at her with approval and the man with disgust. "That bastard is going straight to Hades underwear when he dies." the god told her, before coming over and putting his arm around her shoulder. "Come on," Apollo said. "I'll help you get home."

Well, it wasn't exactly a dragon he had saved her from, and he wasn't exactly a knight, but Apollo came pretty damn close in her opinion.

**Eh. It wasn't very good. And it was a pretty crap chapter to be dedicated to. But meh.  
Muchly love to my wonderful reviewers!**


	12. Luck

**Just to clear it up, I write short chapters. It's just what I do, okay? **

Apollo had crap luck when it came to love. Whether it was a woman or man, they just had a tendency to die or turn into trees. So he gave up. About two thousand years ago, he gave up on the whole falling in love thing and settled for flings that usually only lasted for a couple of months, and one night stands. Sure, the girls were pretty, and were usually wonderful people, but he didn't fall head over heels for them. Unfortunately, they tended to fall for him, leaving the god with extreme guilt.

What Apollo didn't understand was that you can't force yourself to fall in love with someone. It usually came naturally, suddenly and without warning. And you can't prevent it, either.

That's what it was like with Damien.

Apollo was just wondering around a city, he barely payed attention to where exactly in the world he was, when he bumped into a young man, who looked about twenty, sending them both sprawling onto the ground. Damien was an attractive young man with black curly hair and chocolate eyes and his skin was lightly tanned. He laughed and offered a hand to Apollo, who accepted with a grin. "Hey, man, sorry about that." Damien said. Apollo shook his head good naturedly.  
"Nah, it was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going. Plus, it was my probably my bad luck, too."

Damien shook his head but let it go and he introduced himself to the god.

Neither of them knew it, but it was Damien that would make Apollo question his luck.

**Aw. That ending wasn't the best, but anyway. Whatever. It was hard thinking of something starting with L. **


	13. Misery

**Sorry for the wait... And this one is not very good. I don't own anything... Blah blah blah. Enjoy.**

Amy was the 2946th lover Apollo had had. She was cute; dark hair that fell in waves down her back, intelligent blue eyes and a petite figure. She was in general a happy, bubbly person that everyone liked. She had lots of friends and went out every other night, and her family was perfect- no problems or anything.

Amy was the perfect girl leading the perfect life.

Then she met Apollo, and everything changed.

It was love at first sight; he took her out on a date, they kissed. He took her out on another date and they spent the night together.

Then she got pregnant, he left, and Amy didn't go out as much. She wasn't happy anymore, she was miserable. She loved her daughter, sweet little Julia, but she reminded Amy so much of the baby's father, with her bright blue eyes.

And she joined the thousands of women whose hearts had been broken by Apollo.


	14. Nonsense

**Sorry for the late update! I'll make it up to you with as many updates I can fit in as possible. And, uh, this is_ very _short and not the best.. Sorry...**

Athena was angry. Athena was _**furious**_ because of that _stupid_ sun god and his _stupid _lovers and the fact that he was making her _(favourite)_ daughter into one of them- and fast.

_"Apollo!" _she boomed, storming into the throne room and glaring at him, eyes flashing red. Apollo looked up nervously but smiled. "Athena, what can I do for you?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

The goddess narrowed her eyes.

"Annabeth." she said. "_My _Annabeth. Explain."

Apollo took a deep breath and tried to remind himself that he was immortal, and whatever Athena did to him would be temporary. Mostly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, my dear. Is Annabeth in trouble?"

Athena glared, and then pointed into the distance at a statue of Apollo. It exploded.

"Who do you think you are, courting my daughter? She deserves better than to have to you break her heart? And after what Poseidon's boy did to her-!"

"Athena!" Apollo stood up and looked her in the eye. He was really tense right now and all this shouting was getting to him. "I am not courting Annabeth. That's nonsense." _Lies._

The goddess's glare didn't lessen. But she walked away, out of the throne room, and before she disappeared, Apollo saw his favourite temple collapse.

**Reviews are love XD**


	15. Opposite

**About the previous chapter, **_**Nonsense, **_**some were a little confused... All it is is Apollo hitting on Annabeth **_(this is my favourite pairing next to Rachel- Apollo)_** and Athena finding out... Simple**

**I **_(don't)_** own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

Chloe had dark hair, dark eyes, wore dark clothes and liked being alone, because that way no-one would find out her secret. She had friends, a few, but preferred to sit at home and read because it was easier and no-one would ask what was wrong because everything was.

Apollo was all about light. Light hair, light blue eyes, and Hades, he was even the god of the sun. He had many friends, was constantly texting and thrived in social situations. He held partied every other day, with gods and demigods alike, and if no-one was available, he crashed the occasional party down in the mortal world. Apollo loved his life and wanted everyone to know it.

They met at a party that Chloe's friends had dragged her to. Hermes had a date that night and couldn't organise a party. The hostess had rich parents, and the large house was packed to the brim with tipsy, dancing teens and later Apollo swore the music could be heard from Olympus.

The girl with the dark hair was sitting in the corner of the room, sipping her drink and staring at the wall absently. Apollo loved a challenge and approached her. She glanced up at him then stood up and walked out, chucking her drink in a nearby bin. Apollo followed and saw her leave, walking down the street until she was gone in the darkness.

The boy with the blonde hair was watching her, and Chloe was annoyed. Hadn't her body language showed that she wasn't interested in being hit on? But the boy started walking up to her with an easy grin on his face so Chloe got up and walked away.

**Just a little thing I wrote out of boredom, then realized I could use it for this fic. I'm going to do another chapter for Chloe, too. And I'm running out of names! If anyone out there can think of a good name for a character, tell me, please!**


	16. Pencils

**Sorry for the wait you guys, I've been a bit busy lately with some other fics and being bored because summer holidays are just... uneventful. On the hand, Merry Christmas, and I'll try to get the next chapter (Q?) to be holiday related. Uh... Help?**

**Also, I'm stuck on pairings, so check out the poll on my profile. **

Apollo was uncomfortable.

_Very_ uncomfortable.

He'd come to visit Rachel because, let's face it, the days when they didn't have a lover to visit and there was nothing to do on up on Olympus, gods could get bored. They needed things to do and luckily for Apollo, he always had a devoting Oracle more than happy to spend time with him.

But Rachel, though his current Oracle, didn't exactly fit the devoting part. And she wasn't exactly thrilled to be spending time with him, either.

"Oh, gods, what do you want now, Apollo?" she'd snapped when he appeared next to her. "I'm working on something."

Apollo (and he was seriously starting to regret this), hadn't paid any mind to her irritated tone and turned his attention to drawing she was working on. 'Whatcha doing, sweetheart?"

The redhead had glared at him (and though he'd never admit it, he was kinda scared) before ignoring him and going back to work like he was never there.

And now, ten minutes later, Apollo was trying to reign in some quite inappropriate thoughts because, damn, when Rachel Elizabeth Dare was chewing on her pencils like that, it was pretty much the sexiest thing ever. And this was coming from a god who had been around more than two thousand years.

"Uh, so Rachel." the god asked uncomfortably, trying to make her do anything but chew on her pencils thoughtfully and twirl it through her hair and-

She turned her annoyed gaze on him, dropping the pencil (Apollo sighed in relief). "What is it now, Apollo, because I swear to every god there is I will shove this pencil up your-" Her threat wasn't exactly helping, because now there were twice as many dirty images in his mind of exactly where she might put that pencil.

The sun god stood up abruptly, trying to ignore the feelings coursing through his immortal body. "I have to go." And, making sure she'd look away first, he vanished into thin air, appearing on his throne on Olympus, not even caring that Hermes was laughing hysterically at him or that Athena was giving his disapproving looks.

And Apollo made a mental note to get Rachel pencils for Christmas.

**Love it? Hate it? Remember, Santa won't come if you don't review!**


	17. Quilt

**It's hard to find a good _Q_ word, so the _quilt_ is only mentioned briefly in this chapter. Also, I started writing this before Christmas, and was going to publish it on Christmas day but I was so _busy_ with all the family that I didn't have time to finish it until today. Sorry about that, but Merry late Christmas! Hope you guys had a great day. **

**So... I finished this chapter kind of quickly, so there may be a few mistakes. I don't own anything.**

Curled up against his lover, Damien sighed in contentment. Apollo grabbed his hand under the quilt they were under and smiled at him as they watched lights from outside turn the dark room into what resembled a night club.

"I love Christmas." Apollo murmured softly. "Even if I know better than to believe in _God_." he snorted quietly. "I like the traditions. Giving, making people happy. The sense of family and joy mortals feel is intoxicating for even us gods. Not to mention a grandson of mine wrote the first carol." He smiled and stroked Damien's hair.

"Do you like Christmas?"

He smiled. "Yeah, I do." Damien grinned wider. "Did you get me a gift?" he glanced up at Apollo, and their eyes met tenderly for a moment.

"Of course," came the reply and suddenly there was a small box in Damien's hands, wrapped carefully in golden paper and a silver bow, then the wrapping came off and inside there was a small locket, engraved with a sun. Before he could open it Apollo placed took the locket from him. "You can't open this just yet." he told Damien gravely, looking into the man's eyes.  
"Inside is a powder I bought off Aphrodite- when you need me the most, more than you have ever needed me before, open this and throw it into the wind. I will help you, directly or not. Promise you'll wait until you need me."

Damien held Apollo's eyes for a moment before leaning in for a kiss. "Of course," he murmured against the god's lips, allowing him to drape the delicate gold chain around his neck. "I love you."

And Apollo smiled, kissing him again and wrapping his arms around Damien's waist. "I love you, Damien, forever and always. Merry Christmas."


	18. Relief

**A short chapter, but I've finally been able to actually write Percy Jackson again, so please don't hate me. I've been incredibly busy with school and life in general... I promise I'll finish this story as quickly as possible. Next is 'S', which will be fun, because there are lots of potentially relevent 'S' words out there! Which do you think I should do? Message or review if there's an s word you want to be written about.**

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**~Relief~**

Apollo had never felt more relieved in his life, than he did as he stared at the girl lying in his arms. It was odd, to say the least, that this girl made him feel this way, but she did. It was like every worry, every piece of anger and resentment and all those other negative feelings he had gathered over thousands of years just… went away. Like a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and he'd been relieved of a terrible duty. He didn't understand the fact that he didn't understand it- he was a god, and was used to knowing almost everything. But he pushed away the confusion that clouded his mind and let himself bask in the ease of these few moments, when he didn't worry about anything, when he didn't feel angry or resentful or betrayed or guilty or sad or hurt. He wondered if this was how mortals felt when they were children, carefree and happy.

"Apollo?" The girl murmured, half asleep, and wiggled in his grip. "Do you love me?"

And like that, all of the negativity, all of his _baggage_, came flying back to him and Apollo was once again faced with the unfortunate truth that this was his life- he would live forever loving and caring for mortals… And they would die, and leave him with the terrible guilt that he couldn't prevent, not matter his divine powers. He sighed.

"Yeah, I do, sweet," he whispered to the girl, and pressed his lips to her hair. Though she wouldn't live forever, he promised himself, like he had many times, that he would love her with his entire being while she did.

The relief had only lasted for a few moments for him, but he wanted this girl to live her entire life that way, feeling loved and happy and without a worry or hurt in the world.

* * *

**I wrote it fairly quickly but I really hope you like it. Like I said, I've only just rekindled my love for PJO fanfiction (I've been focusing on Glee and Harry Potter)... **

**Review and let me know what words you want for future chapters/ how you liked this one/ how you hated this one, etc. etc.**


	19. Sun

_**What's this I hear? You're asking, "another chapter, so soon?" Yes, that's right! I felt so incredibly guilty for not updating in, like, a year, that I got 'S' out of the way as soon as possible! **_

_**So, here it is... **_

* * *

_****_**S for Sun**

_Scarlette hated the sun._

As a child, she'd loved it. She used to lie on the grass and soak up its welcome warmth, and up until her twenties, she always had a healthy glow on her skin from the time she spent outside.

When she fell in love with Apollo, at the age of twenty-one, she knew her love for the sun was explained. She was obviously meant to be with this amazing man, who treated her like a princess and made her feel happy and loved and warm. She had fantasies of being with him forever and becoming his immortal wife and years later, she knew she was an idiot.

She'd been with Apollo a year when she fell pregnant with his child. She'd been happy, so happy, and Apollo stayed with her still until their child, Liam, was two, before he showed up one day at her apartment with a solemn look on his face and she felt her stomach sink.

"Scarlette, I... I can't... _Be_ with you... Anymore." he'd told her quietly, eyes closed, as they sat on the couch with Liam between them. "Zeus, he... He doesn't like this. He doesn't approve with me being with a mortal. I tried to convince him... You could be granted immortality... But he refused. He thinks you're just another girl. But you're not, Scarlette, please believe that you're not. You're the most important thing that's happened to me in the thousands of years I've been alive."

"Then why can't you stay?" she asked quietly. "Zeus can't hurt you, can he?"

"He couldn't kill me, and there's not much he could do to harm me, at least not permanently. But he could hurt you. He could kill you. Or our son. He doesn't value mortal life."

Apollo pulled Liam into his lap. "I love you, Scarlette. Liam, too. You're both extremely important to me and this is the last thing I want to happen. But if I stay, Zeus will hurt you two and I can't let that happen."

Scarlette shook her head and tried to stop tears spilling from her eyes. "_But it's not fair_! Why can't he let you be happy! I _love_ you!"

They were silent for a few minutes, both of them looking at Liam, who had no idea something bad was happening. He started playing with Scarlette's hair and let out a giggle, making his parents give him a sad smile.

"Will you visit me?" Scarlette whispered, and Apollo gave a slow nod.

"Of course. I'll visit you and Liam... But I can't... Often. Zeus would be annoyed. But I'll try, Scarlette. I promise you. I love you... I will always love you."

And he was gone, leaving Scarlette with only her son to comfort her.

And suddenly, her love of the sun disappeared.

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**Can I hear, corny? Yes, yes, I know you'll be gagging at the cheesiness (especially the ending) but a girl's got to indulge her crappy-romance loving side once in a while! (And this is where I do it). Feel free to review me any judgements/feedback, etc. **


	20. Time

**Not exactly Apollo, but he's included. This is more about... All of the gods... Anyway, I'm so glad I picked back up on this story! I forgot how much I loved writing for PJO **

**So... Enjoy!**

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_**T is for Time**_

Time passed differently for immortals.

They didn't see time as minutes, hours, day and weeks and months and years.  
They saw it as decades and centuries and millennia. What may seem like a long time for a mortal could be the equivalent of a day for a god because when you live forever, you don't have to worry about sleep and looking after yourself and all those trivial things humans did.

Nobody was more aware of this concept than the mortal lovers of the god's. The human who had fallen for them and promised they'd always love them and who eagerly awaited visits from their divine loves.

The last time Melanie, lover of Apollo, had heard from him was three years ago. A simple phone call saying "He'd drop by soon."

Carla, who ten years ago had fallen for Hermes at the age of twenty, still waited for a gap in his busy schedule for a visit.

Matthew, who'd been entranced by the beautiful Aphrodite, still had the scented card she'd had delivered four years ago letting him know she still thoughts about him and would catch up soon.

Angela, lover of Apollo; two years. Thomas, lover of Demeter; thirteen years. Matilda, lover of Ares; nine years.

Four years. Sixteen years. Twelve. One. Eight. Six. Seven. Twenty. Thirty. Sixty.

And while mortals tended to remember those who they loved, and cherished the memories their whole lives... Well, that was different for gods, too.


End file.
